2nd South African National Burden of Disease Study (SANBD2)

The Burden of Disease Research Unit completed the first National Burden of Disease study for South Africa for the year 2000. Following the Global Burden of Disease study methodology, the main focus of the study was to estimate the burden due to premature mortality (years of life lost). Attempts were made to estimate the additional burden contributed by morbidity (years lived with disability), to estimate the disability adjusted life years, and to project the impact of HIV/AIDS on premature mortality in the year 2010. Estimates were derived from different data sources for the levels and underlying causes of disease and injury deaths. The top 20 causes of death and premature mortality were ranked and those contributing the greatest burden can be prioritised for seeking cost-effective health interventions. Initial Burden of Disease Estimates for South Africa, 2000

The first step of the Second South African National Burden of Disease study (SANBD2) involved an assessment of the cause of death statistics in South Africa. Burden of disease estimates were then developed to account for the under-registration of deaths as well as the misclassification of causes. Estimates of deaths and years of life lost (YLLs) were calculated for the provinces and national for the period 1997 – 2012.

The study found that in 2012, just over 10 million years of life were lost due to premature mortality and provides the profiles of causes for each province. Although HIV/AIDS remains the number one cause of years of life lost across all provinces, differences in the profile of other cause were observed. In the Western Cape and Gauteng, for example, interpersonal violence ranks the number two cause of premature death whilst lower respiratory infections rank number two in the Limpopo province.

In preparation for the risk factor assessment, an investigation was undertaken to consider how to make use of the Global Burden of Disease Study’s comprehensive review epidemiological data to best estimate the extent of non-fatal burden and calculate disability adjusted life years (DALYs) from the local mortality estimates.  

SANBD2: Publications

• Can non-fatal burden estimates from the Global Burden of Disease study be used locally? An investigation using models of stroke and diabetes for South Africa  (2021)
• Prevalence of Type 2  Diabetes in South Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (2021)
• Child mortality trends and causes of death in South Africa, 1997 - 2012, and the importance of a national burden of disease study (2019)
• Trends and inequities in amenable mortality between 1997 and 2012 in South Africa  (2019)
• Mortality trends and differentials in South Africa from 1997 to 2012: second National Burden of Disease Study (2016)
• Emerging trends in non -communicable disease mortality in South Africa, 1997 – 2010 (2016)
• HIV/AIDS in South Africa: how many people died from the disease between 1997 and 2010? (2016)

SANBD2: Technical Reports

• SA NBD-GBD and SA NBD-WHO cause list mappings for the second South African National Burden of Disease (2017)
• Second National Burden of Disease Study for South Africa: Cause of death profile Report, 1997 - 2012 (2016)